Today, Toshiba Europe introduced its new Blu-ray player range as well as a new series of 3D-TVs using polarisation filter technology for 3D reproduction.

The company is offering two glossy-black standalone players - the BDX1200 and BDX3200. The BDX3200 and the BDX1200 will be available from April 2011 in Europe.

The BDX3200 supports 3D Blu-ray playback and 7.1 channel Dolby True HD audio. Toshiba REGZA-LINK (HDMI CEC) technology allows users to control their Blu-ray player with the same remote as their HDMI CEC compatible TV or home entertainment system. BD Live (Profile 2.0) also provides access to a range of bonus content.

The BDX1200 supports Full HD Blu-ray movie playback, while Toshiba?s upscaling technology breathes new life into standard definition movies - taking content to near high-definition quality in near real-time. BD Live (Profile 2.0) compatibility also enables users to access interactive features such as bonus scenes.

The new Blu-ray player range also offer broad format support that allows users to enjoy MKV, DivX, JPEG and MP3 playback directly from USB memory sticks.

Today Toshiba also today announced a new series of 3D-TVs using polarisation filter technology for 3D reproduction. Thanks to this technology, already widely seen in cinemas, the users of VL863 series TVs will enjoy 3D by wearing lightweight glasses that do not require batteries or integrated circuits. The models will be delivered with four free pairs of polarisation filter glasses and additional pairs will be fairly affordable, Toshiba said. The VL863 series, featuring models with 107cm (42") and 119cm (47") screens, will be available during the second quarter 2011 in Europe.

Toshiba?s stereoscopic displays feature a polarisation filter mounted on top of the LCD-screen providing line-interleaved circular polarisation; it alternately polarises the pixel lines clockwise and anti-clockwise. The viewer needs to wear glasses with characteristics matched to the polarized light. As a result, users can watch 3D TV for long periods and enjoy 3D gaming without discomfort. The absence of batteries further enhances usability as there?s no worry about battery changes. The glasses bundled with the TVs come from Toshiba?s partner RealD.

As the polarisation technology shows the pictures for the left and the right eye simultaneously, it reduces the crosstalk effect (ghosting), which is often associated with other technologies. Plus, the 3D images are very bright as the viewer constantly perceives the screen?s full luminance. 3D displays with polarisation filter technology can also be used in environments with bright ambient light and do not cause flicker or fatigue.

The VL863 series features Active Vision M400HD picture processing with a frame refresh rate of 400 for smooth motion and Resolution+ to boost edge details and textures in the images.

Toshiba and Yamaha in collaboration

In related news, Toshiba Europe GmbH and HiFi specialist Yamaha announced that the companies will collaborate and combine their expertise for the benefit of digital entertainment enthusiasts.

"Toshiba and Yamaha complement each other perfectly as both companies are committed to giving consumers a genuine and realistic home cinema experience", said Sascha Lange, Head of Marketing, Toshiba Europe GmbH. "To achieve this aim, Toshiba will contribute its know-how in premium-class picture quality for TVs, while Yamaha will add its expertise in realistic sound reproduction with front-end surround systems."

"The cooperation between Yamaha and Toshiba perfectly exploits the companies? expertise", said Ryo Kasai, Senior Director, AV/IT Group Europe, Yamaha. "Yamaha?s HiFi technology allows TV users to truly appreciate the sound on DVDs or while watching TV while music and sound enthusiasts can enjoy Toshiba's cutting-edge TV technology."

Toshiba and Yamaha will work closely together to support each other on a pan European level. The companies will provide training and material for Point of Sales that explain the benefit of combining products from the two companies.